Mr Boss Mustapha, the new man appointed by President Muhammadu Buhari as Secretary to the Government of the Federation is a lawyer and politician.
He has been for decades a progressive, since he joined Nigerian politics in the late 1980s.
The man who is fondly called “Boss”, replaced Babachir David Lawal, another Adamawa son who was formally relieved of his post today following an indictment for awarding a questionable grass cutting contract, for which he was a beneficiary, at an IDP camp.
Mr. Mustapha attended Hong Secondary School, in Hong Adamawa State and North East College of Arts and Sciences Maiduguri Borno State, for his A-Level.
He then went to Ahmadu Bello University in 1976, where he earned his Bachelor of Law (LL.B) in 1979.
He was called to bar in 1980.
From 1980 to 1981, Mr. Mustapha did the compulsory National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) at the Directorate of Legal of legal Services at the Army Headquarters and participated in the review of Court Marshall Proceedings.
After the NYSC, Boss joined Sotesa Nigeria Limited, an Italian consultancy firm, as an Executive Director in charge of Administration, leaving in 1983 to join the law firm, Messrs Onagoruwa & Co in Lagos.
He later established his own practice as Principal Counsel in the firm, Messrs Mustapha & Associates.
In 2000, the Obasanjo administration appointed him a member of Interim Management Committee (IMC) of the defunct Petroleum (Special) Trust Fund (PTF). He served till 2007.
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He returned to legal practice in 2007 as Principal Partner of the law firm, Adroit Lex.
As a politician, he was a member of the Federal Republic of Nigeria Constituent Assembly (1988-1989), Chairman People’s Solidarity Party-Gongola State (1989-1990), State Chairman, Social Democratic Party-Gongola State (1990-1991); he was even a gubernatorial candidate for SDP in Adamawa State in 1991.
He was also the Deputy National Chairman of the defunct Action Congress of Nigeria from 2010 to 2013.
In 2007, he again played a prominent role, serving as the Deputy Director General of the party’s Presidential campaign Organisation.
His services remained in high demand after the fusing of Action Congress of Nigeria with other parties to form the All Progressives Congress (APC).
He was Secretary, APC Presidential Campaign Organisation Mobilisation (2015) and member, APC Transition Committee (2015).
He is also a member, APC Board of Trustees.
Until his new appointment, the man called Boss, was the Managing Director/CEO of the National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA).
Like Babachir Lawal, Boss is a Christian and he is the National Vice President, Full Gospel Business Men’s Fellowship International Nigeria.
